How one woman tracked her AirPods she left on a plane to an airport worker's home
They say good things come to those who wait, but for Elizabeth Hayden, she prefers to tackle her problems directly. In early March, the Washington state resident was connecting through SFO after visiting her husband who serves in the military on the island of Guam. Hayden says she was getting off her plane when suddenly she remembered she had left her jacket which had her Apple Airpods inside on her seat. After approaching airline staff, they assured her someone would get the jacket for her and then she went on her way to catch her last flight to Seattle. It was during that part of her journey that Hayden decided she was going to try and get some sleep. It's okay, I just put in my AirPods and I'll be fine. I could sleep for a couple hours to Seattle.
Well, that was when I realized that they were gone. Thanks to the Find My App on her phone, Hayden realized her AirPods had been stolen out of her jacket. While she was in the air, she was able to track them and take screenshots as they made their way around the airport. First to different terminals, then the United Cargo Building and ultimately down the Southbound 101 Freeway. Hayden says she immediately began reaching out to various United Employees and Police departments trying to get her stolen property back. After nearly two weeks of getting little to no assistance, Hayden says she was able to get them back thanks to a detective working at SFO. The AirPods haven't been taken by a contractor who was loading food onto the aircraft.
ABC7 News reached out to United, who sent us a statement which reads, United Airlines holds our vendors to the highest standards and we are working with local authorities in their investigation of this matter. Words of little comfort to Hayden. As far as I'm concerned, if United has trusted that employee on the airplane to do a job for them, then they're responsible. Hayden's AirPods were eventually sent back to her, but she says they arrived damaged. For her trouble, United has agreed to pay for a new pair and give her 5,000 airline miles as an apology. That hasn't happened yet and you know, I can't say whether it will or it won't. But for now, Hayden says her tenacity has served her well and she hopes it can be a lesson for others to never give up hope.
When you look at things and you know you look at something that's right and you look at something wrong and then you ask yourself, is this something that is happening to other people as well? In San Francisco, Tim Johns, ABC7 News.